Consider The Flowers – 2017 New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop

Happy Easter!

Welcome to my stop on the 2017 New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop! I was so excited to participate in this last year and you know, once is never enough so of course I had to do this again. Thanks to this year’s amazing hosts Yvonne @quiltingjetgirl, Leanne @she can quilt and Beth @Cooking Up Quilts for letting me have another go at this. By the way, you should visit their blogs as they introduce other members of their hives today. As always, there are tons of prizes to win during these hops thanks to the generous sponsors so make sure you check that out.

Now to the reason you are here…my name is Sola and I quilt and Blog in my little corner of the globe all the way in Nigeria! Why Alice Samuel’s Quilt Co? I chose that name as a memorial to my parents. I would love to tell you a lot more about me but I believe I already covered that much here and here.

Instead, I can share with you all about my quilting adventure which is the reason why I started this blog. I wish I can say where I belong as a quilter…modern, traditional, somewhere in between or none of the above. All I know is I love fabrics, colors, geometric shapes and that is what you’ll observe from my few creations since I started quilting about 3 years ago.

Without further delays, I present to you some of my quilts:

Most recent Finish (A lap size)

Recently Completed Baby Quilt

Wonky Log Cabin Baby Quilt

Quilter’s Laundry Day (Pattern by Jen @adreamandastitch)

Still a work in progress

Nautical Quilt

Chevron Quilt

Cross Quilt (pattern designed off patterjam.com)

Painter’s Art Quilt

Star Quilt

Quilting and Blogging Tip

We have been asked to share a quilting and blogging tip and for that, let me share with you an excerpt from the book: A Practicing Mind: Developing Focus and Discipline by Thomas Sterner:

Consider the flower

At what point is a flower perfect?

Is it perfect when it is nothing more than a seed waiting to be planted? All that it will ever be is there in that moment.

Is it perfect when it first starts to germinate? Unseen under several inches of soil? This is when it displays the first sign of miracle of creation.

How about when it pokes its head through the surface and sees the face of the sun for the first time? All its energy has gone into reaching for this source of life. Until this point, it had nothing more than an inner voice telling it which way to grow.

What about when it begins to flower? This is when its individual properties starts to be seen. The shape of the leaves, the number of blooms, all are unique to this one flower even among other flowers of the same species.

Or is it the stage of full bloom? The crescendo/climax of all the energy and effort the flower expended to reach this point in its life.

Let’s not forget its quiet and humble ending when it returns to the soil where it came.

At what point then is the flower perfect? If you don’t already know the answer, IT IS ALWAYSPERFECT! It is perfect at being whatever it is, at whatever stage it is in at that moment. It is perfect at being a seed when it is placed in the ground. At that moment in time, it is exactly what it is supposed to be A SEED. Just because it doesn’t have brightly colored bloom doesn’t mean it is not a good flower seed. When it first sprouts out through the ground, it is not imperfect because it displays only the color green. At each stage of the growth from seed to full bloom and beyond, it is perfect at being a flower at that particular stage of a flower’s life.

A flower must start as a seed and it will not bulge 1mm towards its potential grandeur of full bloom without the nourishment of water, soil, sun and also time. It takes time for all these elements to work together to produce the flower. The flower cannot say to itself that becoming a full bloom takes time and I want to do everything I can to get there now. I can’t wait to start blooming…that is when I’ll be happy, that is when everyone will be happy with me.

We consciously or unconsciously pick a point of reference in whatever we do and decide that nothing will be right until we get to that point. If you sit back to examine your internal monologue, then you’ll be amazed at how hard you work against yourself with this type of thinking. If you step back routinely during your day and observe where your attention is, you will be amazed at how few times it is where you are and on what you are doing. That is why we need to develop a present minded approach to every activity we are involved in. We need to realize like the flowers that at whatever level we are performing, we are perfect at that point in time. We will experience a tremendous relief from the fictitious self-imposed pressures and expectations that only slow our progress.

When we are subconsciously focused on the result or product we are trying to achieve (especially in activities like quilting that produces tangible products) we are distracted into the future because the result/product is pulling us out of the present moment into the future. This is like wanting to get to full bloom and skipping the rest of it.

It is our egos that make us create false ideas of what perfect is and whether we have reached it. Remember true perfection is not finite and not a specific skill level that can be reached regardless of how hard or how long you pursue an activity.

I hope you were able to pick a thing or two out of this? In essence, where ever you are on your quilting journey, take solace in the fact that you are just perfect where you are. At the end of the day, it is all in the perspectives. There are various points of views out there and you have yours, so stick to it and don’t get overwhelmed by all the other seemingly perfect point of views.

My question for you:

If you had the chance to start your quilting journey over again, what advice would you give your new beginner self? For me I’ll say, Sit back, relax and enjoy the ride, this is the beginning of a life long love affair!

Have you enjoyed the hop so far? Again do not forget to visit the hosts for your chance to meet other amazing New Quilt Bloggers and to take part in the giveaways. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you stick around as I continue on this wonderful quilting adventure. Have a great week!

Please take time to visit other members of my Blooming Quilters hive on the hop today:

Related

Thank you for sharing this thoughtful excerpt, it really made me think 🙂 I admire that you want to share quilting with your community, even though it is not a popular pastime there- what an opportunity!

Such great thoughts and how fun to meet a quilter from all the way around the globe! I love your question, what would I change? I would go back and tell my 15 year old self to stop consuming and focus on creating. To be an artist about my work. And to be grateful for every moment that I get to make something.

Thank you for sharing the quote about flowers. Its a good reminder to appreciate and focus on the beauty of what we have created.
If I was starting now, I’d say enjoy the journey. Remember to try lots of things. Even if it isnt necessarily your cup of tea, learning the technique is useful because you never know when it will come in handy some day.

Very true Helen, you never know when a technique can come in handy, so if there’s an opportunity to learn why not take it! We are so much in a rush to move on to the next shining project that we sometimes miss the beauty of the work in progress.

Fantastic post Sola!! It was a great read! My advice to a newbie quilter would be, you only need 4 tools to start…a rotary cutter, a cutting mat, a ruler and a good pair of scissors! Everything else sits in a drawer, so buy fabric instead!

Hi Sola, love your quilt gallery, the colours and designs really pop! Your excerpt from the book is so apt, people become so obsessed with the finished product they forget to enjoy the processes along the way, which is kind of the whole point. I am still sort of at the beginning of my quilting journey, although I have sewn for many years. I have enjoyed reading your post Sola and will revisit soon 🙂

Oh I must have missed you last year, glad I saw your blog this time around. I love your quilts, a real fresh modern look. Great post, I love your quilting philosophy, a good mantra for life, an assumption that things will be perfect. If I was beginning again, I would tell myself to lighten up, that some quilting rules are there for purpose, and some for no reason at all

Thanks a lot Helen! I’ve had so much fun on the hop this time around. Thats a very nice advice and as for the mantra and philosophy…I still need a daily reminder! It’s easier to be negative and drown in self doubt than looking on the bright side and there’s always a bright side 😊.

Hi Sola, this is Abbie from the Better Bloggers hive. So neat to be talking to you while you are in Nigeria and me here in the US. Your quilts are so unique and vibrant! Not only are you a wonderful quilter but a philosopher as well.

What a fantastic post Sola!!! Both in terms of quilts (your selection here are beautiful) and your words – actually this has really made me think about how many times I am not in the present when doing something. I need to think on this and become more present ……. Advice for a new quilter – take on board advice/information/tips/techniques but also be aware that you can let them go. Keep what works for you and discard the rest/should have/could haves!

Thanks for your lovely compliment and the advice! It’s a constant battle with the mind wandering onto the next project or the other task we should be doing instead of focusing on getting the current task done.

I agree enjoy the ride..and use up the fabric you buy that year because what you liked that year you might not like next year. So then it just sits there geting old and not in a project. . happyness04431@yahoo.com

Thank you so much! I’ve never thought of that possibility…not liking the fabric the next year. It’s absolutely true though, I have fabrics in my stash that I’m now wondering what I was thinking when I bought them 🙈

Hi Sola, great post, lots of pondering points for the quilter. Thanks for sharing your quilts; they are beautiful. If I could start over again, maybe focus on making smaller quilts but I really wanted quilts for my beds. Glad to have met you through the Blog Hop, it’s been a great way to discover new quilters like yourself.

Great thoughts, Sola! I loved seeing your gallery of quilts! You do beautiful work! A friend of mine moves frequently due to a military spouse, and she lives by the saying, “Bloom where you are planted.” I even made a quilt for her with that name. Seems fitting for your post here too!

Hi Sola, wonderful post and a great reminder to be present wherever we are on our life journey not only our quilting journey. So great to pop on back and see all your vibrant quilts, will be back cheers Fi x

Hi Wendy. Thank you very much! I’m glad you weren’t disappointed 😀. Isn’t it amazing the talents out there? But we don’t know how long they’ve been on their journey or how much they’ve put in to get that result. While we can aspire to do greater things I don’t think there is really any reason for comparisons.

Sola, it was a pleasure to read you post. The flowers are always perfect, I love this, as I try to live in the moment. Can”t change what already happened, Can’t worry about what might happen. Now is all we are guaranteed. I look forward to following along with you on your journey.

I wouldn’t have done anything differently when I began quilting. I would say it helps to have a sewing background so one is not totally lost. I also began quilting with thrifted fabric and thread so I could make mistakes and it wouldn’t cost an arm and leg for those items.

Lucky you Tami! I started out straight with investing in the expensive stuffs. Thanks to social media, I really felt like I needed all those things to be good at this…Now I know better! You are right, having a sewing background would be a nice advantage.

Great post, and I would give my beginner self similar advice as the advice you would give yours. The only thing I would add is – “it is not a race to finish a quilt, slow down and pay attention to details” 🙂

Thank you so much Tierney! Sometimes it’s hard to remember that it’s not just about the finished quilt…the process also counts. I’ve realized now that’s why I hated basting so much. It feels like a time wasting delay to reaching my end goal of a completed quilt!

I agree with what you share today, Sola. If I were able to go back and tell myself something as a beginner, it would probably be something along those lines and to try new things without fear. Thank you so much for participating again this year!

This is a wonderful post. Thanks for the many insights and tips. For me if I were to go back and give myself some advice it would be, BE PATIENT AND WATCH EACH STITCH COME ALIVE. I started hand quilting with my mom, but things just did not go fast enough for me (I was in high school, enough said, LOL)

Sola, you have a wonderful outlook on quilting and it seems life. I’ve quilted for about the last thirty years and just this year I’ve finally ventured into long arm and FMQ…it’s scary but so fun and rewarding. I’d tell myself to breath, cut, sew and then just enjoy the journey.

Beautiful quilts, Beautiful Thoughts, Beautiful sharing woman. Love the flower analogy. If I could advise the younger me it would be to keep investing in the art of quilting. Follow your imagination where it will go. Thank you, Sola, for a lovely start to the day.

Each time you show your work I’m surprised again at how recently you began quilting. Three years! You have grown quickly in skill and talent.

The flower analogy works for me. My son is 28 now, and one of the best pieces of advice I heard when he was quite small was not to “wish his life away.” Try to avoid thinking “I can’t wait until he can … ” walk, or use the toilet, or go to school, or drive … Enjoy his stage of life as he is right now, rather than wishing for him to be older or capable of different things. It was a good lesson and I still draw on it now. Thanks.

Thank you so much Melanie. Good to hear such lovely comment coming from you 😊. It’s so easy to get sucked into wishing for what we can’t do yet instead of concentrating all our efforts to excel in what we can actually do.

Great post Sola! It’s interesting to see the progress you’ve made in the past months since the last hop. I loved your flower analogy and it puts into words what I’ve realised myself in the past few months! I’m not sure what I’d tell myself… Maybe that it’s okay not to do things the way you should. There are many different ways to do a task and it’s okay to do it the way you want to.

Thanks for the wonderful words Sue. I have made so much progress indeed! I’ve learnt a lot from participating in these things. Your word to yourself is a good one, you discover different ways to do things everyday 😊

Your quilts are beautiful. While they are each different and unique, they share a radiance. Thanks so much for sharing them with us, and for passing along your insightful thoughts on the quilting journey.

Great post Sola! I enjoyed seeing some of the quilts you’ve made. I’m with Paige on this one. I wasted so many years not knowing how to quilt and kind of quit even the piecing part of it just because I didn’t know how to quilt! Now that I can do it, I wonder why did I wait so long?

Thank you Janice 😊. Fear of the unknown is why you waited so long! At least that’s why I did. Like what if I ruin my quilt top? I wouldn’t want to rip those stitches if they end up looking wobbly. It’s better to just get on with it.

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About Me

A lady trying to figure it all out...Analyst by day, quilter by night!!! Quilting is not popular in my community but I want to share my love of quilting with my community. This is my sojourn in Quilt-land, join me on this journey of discovering the endless possibilities of quilting and the challenges of making my community fall in love with quilting!!!